XN000022-1982-06-06 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 1982

TEXTILES TALKS STILL AT PRELIMINARY STAGE

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+THE HONG KONG/EEC NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL AT A PRELIMINARY STAGE, SAID MR LAWRENCE MILLS, HONG KONG'S COMMISSIONER OF TRADE IN A PRESS STATEMENT FROM BRUSSELS.

+WE HAVE COMPLETED A WEEK OF TALKS AND MOST OF THE TIME HAS BEEN TAKEN UP WITH THE PRESENTATION BY THE EEC OF THE ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CONTINUATION OF RESTRICTIONS ON HONG KONG'S EXPORTS OF TEXTILES TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN THE CURRENT AGREEMENT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, HE SAID.

+WE ARE ALSO ENDEAVOURING TO ESTABLISH A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMITMENTS ARISING FROM THE LETTERS WHICH WERE EXCHANGED BETWEEN DR KRENZLER, EEC'S CHIEF TEXTILES NEGOTIATOR AND ME IN GENEVA AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MFA NEGOTIATIONS IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR.+

HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE LIKELY OUTCOME OF THE TALKS NOR WOULD HE COMMENT ON WHETHER THE EEC WAS MAINTAINING THE SEVERE LINE WHICH IT HAD INDICATED IT WOULD NEED TO TAKE WITH HONG KONG, IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT NONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES SUCH AS BASE LEVELS, GROWTH RATES AND FLEXIBILITY PROVISIONS, SURGE AND CIRCUMVENTION HAVE YET BEEN ADDRESSED.

MR MILLS DID SAY, HOWEVER, THAT THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE DISCUSSIONS WAS FRIENDLY AND THAT THE PROGRESS WHICH HAD BEEN MADE WAS ABOUT AVERAGE FOR A MAJOR NEGOTIATION OF THIS TYPE.

THE TALKS WILL RESUME ON MONDAY (JUNE 7) AFTER THE HONG KONG DELEGATION HAS EXAMINED IN DETAIL THE ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION PUT FORWARD BY THE COMMUNITY,

REMINDER ON TYPHOON ARRANGEMENTS

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EMPLOYERS WERE ADVISED TODAY (SUNDAY) TO REACH PRIOR AGREEMENT WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES ON WORKING ARRANGEMENTS ON THE APPROACH OF OR DURING A TROPICAL STORM.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID THE AGREEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE RULES FOR WORK, RELEASE FROM WORK, THE METHOD OF CALCULATING WAGES TO BE PAID UNDER VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.

+ALTHOUGH THE LAW DOES NOT LAY DOWN ANY PARTICULAR PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW, IT IS BASICALLY A MATTER OF DECISION BETWEEN EACH EMPLOYER AND HIS EMPLOYEES, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE NATURE OF EMPLOYMENT AND THE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE'S PLACE OF RESIDENCE, AVAILABILITY OF TRANSPORT AND OTHER FACTORS,+ HE ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN